Silver Linings Playbook tries to aim high, and I am glad to say that it does in a heartwarming and inspiring way. Silver Linings Playbook is not only easily described as a story about mental illness and the effects an illness has on someone’s life, but also, it has a romantic touch that balances with the serious side of the book.
The story revolves around the Peoples family and their son, Pat. The story is told from Pat’s perspective so it offers the reader a great way to delve into the mind of someone who suffers from mental illness. The book opens with Pat inside a mental hospital which he calls “the bad place.” As a firm believer in silver linings, Pat feels as if his life, which consists of all negative things, will reveal a silver lining or a happy ending. He lives by this motto and he hopes that others believe in the idea too. Pat has recently gotten a restraining order from his wife, Nikki because she thinks that he needs help. They have been separated for a long time and everything starts to remind him of her as he tries to fix things with her. Pat truly believes that he and Nikki are just going through a phase that he calls “apart time” and that if he can get his body in shape and learn to control his emotions then she will accept him. Through daily sessions with his psychiatrist Dr. Cliff Patel, Pat begins to sort through his problems. He hopes that Dr. Cliff won’t be the archetypal psychiatrist, one who judges him and makes him feel like a specimen in a tube. It turns out that Dr. Cliff is more like Pat than he imagined. He loves the Eagles, he feels about women the same way, and he also believes that silver linings are possible.
Suddenly, as if this was a gift from the God that Pat sees will offer him a silver lining; Tiffany becomes apparent in his life. Tiffany is much like Pat, they both have mental illness and each of their spouses have passed or left them. They are alone mentally but have yet to realize that they are also alone physically. They benefit each other and are always there for each other. If Pat went on a jog, Tiffany wouldn’t be far behind. They learn to begin to have feelings for each other and feel as if it was meant for them to meet.
Throughout the book, silver linings are very apparent. The importance of living life to the fullest and learning to interpret things that happen in your life are important themes. Tiffany and Pat are different, but being different is ok because being different is important as it allows you to be set apart from others. I highly recommend reading the book but also watching the movie as it does a great job of bringing this amazing book to life.